Sue Of Fainelloth Dolls

~When did you first begin to doll?
In December, 2003. On the 22nd, to be exact.

~How did you find about dolling?
My real-life sister had been looking for LotR avatars at some sites, and at one she found a link to Swanlake, the first dolling site that I ever visited… I wanted to try it, too, and have been dolling ever since then.

~What are your memories of some of you first dolls? Fairly good for a beginner, horrible? Do you still have it on record?
I thought I was *great*, I really did… Now I think I’m bad. My first doll wasn’t as bad, I think, the second was far worse. Here’s my first doll:

~What sites did you visit often when you first explored the dolling community?
At first I only visited Swanlake, then I found a link to Xandorra and DHF.

~What sites were running when you first started? Which were popular?
Um, hard… Xandorrawas very popular, of course. Then DHF. ILCK was also popular… And La Foret Elfiquewas kinda famous for its bases. And I guess Josie’s Dolls, was famous as well.

~Can you remember any special events it you dolling career?
Not really. It was a special event for me, though, when I first opened my site. And once I was accused of Franken dolling, in spring this year. [2005]

~What is you’re style? Why?
Hmm… style, that’s hard, cause I’m not sure how to define my style. I’d say it’s my style to do Fantasy dolls in long, foldy dresses with long hair, because that’s what I do the most. I also love to doll characters… I tend to make clothes very foldy and as realistic as possible (without making them look too realistic).

~Do you have a muse you’d like to introduce?
Oooooh, yes. Merenwen, my alter ego. She’s my elven character from LotR and I love her to bits! If you break my rules, she’ll hunt you down! ^^

~How do you find time to do all of these amazing dolls? How long does an average doll take you to finish?
Ok, I spend much too much time in front of the computer. On some days at least, since school ends at 1:00. An average doll takes me between half an hour and one and a half hour.

~How do you feel about your bases? Does it give you any satisfaction to know other dollers use your bases?
Yes, it gives me satisfaction if someone uses my bases. It makes me proud to see that other dollers can make wonderful dolls on them.

~Have you noticed any trends in dolling? Would you say you are a follower in any of these trends?
Trends are always funny! There was a LotR doll trend a while ago, when everyone seemed to doll Arwen. And I kinda followed the trend… And at the moment there’s a pixelshade trend.
Usually I don’t follow trends, but of course they influence my style, like DHF.

~What inspired you to establish Dolling History?
I dunno, at first it was only a weird idea that came to me when I read a topic at TG, and I started a thread about it. And at once everything became to be a bit clearer and I wanted to start it.

~Truthfully, do you feel you have contributed much to the history of dolling? And if so, how?
I don’t think so, at least not yet. But Xandorra once told me that she started doing prep-dolls again because she liked mine.

~For future reference to compare and contrast, what are your plans for Dolling History?
I have not really thought about it. I want to have an own site for it and hope to be able to add more and more articles from time to time… and to make it a bit popular. But apart from that, I don’t have any plans yet.

~How do you feel knowing that your site is popular enough and your dolls so well known that you are being interviewed for this project?
I think that I wouldn’t have been interviewed if it wasn’t about the project, so… Nah, I think it’s a funny thought to be interviewed, but since I like talking about myself… It makes me feel a bit proud, somehow.

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This interview was copied by Veriria from the now-defunctDolling History forums to preserve it should the forum ever be shut down.